Man Extradited from Mexico to Face Forgery, Identity Theft Charges

(Phoenix, Ariz. – Jan. 25, 2008) Attorney General Terry Goddard today announced that Ruben Rosendo “Casho” Camargo Plaza, of Cananea, Mexico, has been extradited to Phoenix to face charges of forgery, trafficking in the identity of another and conspiracy. He was booked into Maricopa County Jail and will be transferred to Cochise County to stand trial.

According to court documents, Camargo, 49, was charged in March 2007 with creating and selling fake resident alien cards and other identification documents. He fled to Mexico before he could be arrested.

This case was developed from a federal investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement into allegations that Sun Drywall and Stucco Company in Sierra Vista referred undocumented immigrants to fraudulent document vendors. The company and company officials were indicted on federal charges of harboring and hiring undocumented immigrants. The case is still pending in federal court.

In November 2007, the Arizona Attorney General’s Office formally requested that Camargo be extradited to Arizona from Mexico. The petition was granted a month later, and he was transferred to Phoenix Thursday evening.

If convicted of all charges, Camargo faces up to 18.5 years in prison. He is scheduled to appear in Cochise County Superior Court within 24 hours after he is picked up by the Cochise County Sheriff. Assistant Attorney General Frank Collins and Special Investigator Rene Luna handled the extradition case. Assistant Attorney General John